Mark Cuban has never been shy about defending his players, but when it came to Luka Doncic’s infamous postgame beer incident, even he admits Mavericks executive Michael Finley was right to step in.
On The Arena, Cuban revisited the viral moment from 2024 when Doncic, fresh off leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, was caught with a beer in his hand during the celebrations. Before Luka could take a sip, Finley snatched it away, sparking debates about the team’s trust in its superstar.
"I was standing right there. I was fine with it, right? And it wasn't because he didn't want him to drink it. It was because there were cameras everywhere, you know? And just not cool when a player is doing an interview with a beer, you know?"
"So Michael wasn't, like, worried about, oh, you're going to gain weight or any of that shit. Like, if he didn't do it, I would have done it, you know? It was more about cameras going to be rolling. You're going to need to be talking. Nobody needs to know that you're drinking a beer."
"How many times have you seen a player do an interview with a beer in his hand? Yeah, well, no, because we had just lost, and you were going to have to do interviews, you know? And so, you know, it was – I agree with it. I thought Fin did the right thing. I was standing right there. If I thought it was wrong, I'd be like, get him another one."
Cuban went on to clarify that the timing of the celebration was the real issue. The Mavericks had just clinched the Western Conference Finals, meaning Doncic was about to face a wave of media interviews. Cuban emphasized that perception mattered in that moment.
At the time, the incident looked harmless, a young superstar unwinding after a career-defining win. But in the months that followed, it became a talking point inside Dallas.
Reports surfaced that the Mavericks were concerned about Doncic’s conditioning, his nightlife habits, and even his fondness for hookah. Some within the organization questioned his professionalism, pointing to moments like the beer incident as symbolic of deeper frustrations.
According to The Athletic, team insiders called Doncic “lazy” and worried his health habits would catch up with him within five years. While such criticisms felt exaggerated, the relationship between Luka and the front office continued to sour. By the summer of 2025, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most shocking deals in NBA history.
Cuban has admitted he still feels the sting of the trade. At one point, he even said he’d rather divorce his wife than trade Luka. Yet when the deal went through, he was no longer the decision-maker in basketball operations, despite early reports that he would retain control after selling the franchise.
Ironically, the criticisms that dogged Luka in Dallas have largely faded in Los Angeles. After an intense offseason training regimen, he looks leaner, sharper, and locked in fresh off signing a $165 million extension with the Lakers.
For Cuban, the beer incident wasn’t about discipline or body fat percentages. It was about optics. And while Mavericks fans now view it as one of the first cracks in the Luka-Dallas relationship, Cuban maintains that Finley’s quick grab was simply about protecting Luka from the cameras.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us onGoogle News. We appreciate your support.